History

Establishment of the department

Department of Chemistry was established on the 1st February 1962 as a detachment of the original Department of Natural Sciences. The study of certificated subject started in the school year 1962/63. The department initially provided the education of chemistry teachers for the 6th – 9th grade of primary schools with Slovak or Hungarian language in the internal form of study or part-time study.

From the school year 1977/78, after the reorganization of study, the department began to prepare teachers for secondary schools as well. The spatial, material and technological conditions for the educational process and scientific research were gradually created at the department. Teachers gradually increased their professional qualifications through external post gradual studies and habilitations at the School of Agriculture in Nitra (present-day Slovak University of Agriculture in Nitra) and at the Faculty of Chemical and Food Technology in Bratislava.

The department did a considerable work in the field of Chemistry Olympiad, mainly by realizing the regional rounds of CHO. Although the department had relatively good personal, material and technological conditions for education and scientific research, it was closed by the 1st September 1988.

Reestablishment of the department

Department of Chemistry was re-established on the 1st September 1990 as a part of joint Department of Biology and Chemistry at the School of Education in Nitra. Some of the former employees, doc. RNDr. Leonard Sojka, CSc., RNDr. Ing. Miroslav Ondrejička, CSc. and RNDr. Ján Beluský, were present at the re-establishment of the department.

From the current employees RNDr. Klaudia Jomová (biochemistry graduate of Comenius University) and RNDr. Alžbeta Hegedűsová (Gardening Research Institute employee with several years of research experience) were among the first staff of the department.

The department detached in the year 1992 into a separate Department of Chemistry and from the year 1996 it exists as a part of the Faculty of Natural Sciences at the Constantine the Philosopher University in Nitra. The department has gradually acquired students since then; it has exapnded spatially and materially and acquired new staff.


Material, technical and IT build-up pf Department of Chemistry:

  • In 1998, three modern chemistry laboratories for student laboratory exercises were built in the main university building on the Tr. A. Hlinku Street, where whole Department was relocated from the building on the Farská Street. The aforementioned laboratories were founded by the members of that time department administration – prof. Ing. Ondrej Kyseľ, CSc., prof. Ing. Ondrej Baráth, CSc. and doc. RNDr. Leonard Sojka, CSc.

  • In 2004, a research laboratory entitled “Integrated laboratory for the analysis of environment components” (doc. RNDr. Alžbeta Hegedűsová, PhD.).

  • In 2007, two biochemistry laboratories were established with the support of the development project “Completion of integrated molecular analysis laboratory, Innovation and build-up of university centres of excellence” (doc. RNDr. Klaudia Jomová, PhD.).

  • Chemistry laboratories were gradually completed thanks to the financial resources of the Faculty of Natural Sciences in Nitra, also from VEGA and KEGA projects, National programmes of research and development, as well as institutional projects of the department employees.

  • The computer equipment was updated and upgraded thanks to financial support from the KEGA projects (notebooks, data projectors, interactive blackboards) and software (ChemOffice Ultra 2008, ChemCraft, Hyperchem).

  • In 2010, all teaching rooms were equipped with computers.

  • Financial resources from aforementioned projects, but also from ESF (European Social Fund) projects, were used for the purchase of contemporary chemistry literature.

Actual material and technical equipment of the Department provides a suitable environment for modern education of chemistry students. Bachelor, Master and ŠVOČ papers are realised in the Department of Chemistry laboratories.

The Department has organized a number of seminaries, local and international conferences:

  • co-organization of the 51st Congress of Czech and Slovak Chemical Society (Nitra, 7-10-9.1999), which was attended approximately 450 chemists from Slovakia, Czech republic and from abroad,

  • organization of three quantum chemistry conferences in Nitra in the years 1997, 2002 and 2007 (prof. Ing. Ondrej Kyseľ, CSc.),

  • organization of international conference “Utilisation of ICT in natural sciences education” in the year 2006 (PaedDr. Zita Jenisová, PhD.),

  • organization of international symposium „CEEPUS Symposium on Bioanalysis“ in the year 2008 (doc. RNDr. Klaudia Jomová, PhD.),

  • organization of seminaries and lectures for teachers and students from secondary schools (2004, 2006, 2007, 2010, doc. RNDr. Klaudia Jomová, PhD.).

Former staff of Department of Chemistry:

Baráth Ondrej, Prof. Ing. CSc.

  • worked at the department between 1996 and 2006 as a deputy head of department for Hungarian section, provided analytical chemistry lectures and laboratory exercises.

+ (2007) Beluský Ján, RNDr. CSc.

  • worked at the department since its establishment between 1962 and 1987 and participated in its activities since the year 1990. He stopped working for the department in 1992. He provided teaching of chemical calculations and laboratory exercises.

+ (2011) Beresecký Valentín, RNDr.

  • assumed the position of the head of department in 1991. He stopped working for the department in 1992, when he assumed the position of the headmaster of a church school in Nitra.

Matulík Daniel, PaedDr.

  • worked at the department from 1993 to 2004, provided teaching of chemical bond theory, chemical compounds structures and molecular modelling. .

+ (2008) Ondrejička Miroslav, Ing. RNDr. CSc.

  • worked at the department since its establishment from 1962 to 1987 and was present at its re-establishment in 1990. He finished his activities at the department in 2005. He provided the teaching of chemical calculations, laboratory exercises and physical chemistry lectures.

Sojka Leonard, doc. RNDr. CSc.

  • worked at the department since its establishment between 1962 and 1987 as the head of department and after the department re-establishmet, he worked as a deputy head of department for the Slovak section. He provided the lectures and seminaries of chemistry didactics.

Košík Gabriel, RNDr.

  • worked for the department between 2000 and 2006, provided the teaching of the chemical bond theory, chemical compounds structures and molecular modelling seminaries.

Gregušová Adriana, Mgr. PhD.

  • worked for the department from 2004 to 2007. She provided the teaching of physical chemistry and chemical compounds structure seminaries.

Kyseľ Ondrej, Prof. Ing. CSc.

  • worked at the department from 1992 to 2004 as the head of department. He provided teaching of physical chemistry, chemical bond theory and spectral methods. He finished his activities at the department in 2011.

Hegedüsová Alžbeta, Prof. RNDr. PhD.

  • worked at the department between 1990 and 2023, provided the teachering of organic chemistry and and between 2004 and 2008 was the head of department.

Juhász György , PaedDr. PhD.

  • worked at the department between 1993 and 2013, provided the teaching of the chemical bond theory, chemical compounds structures and molecular modelling seminaries.

Technical Staff:

  • Bohovičová Helena - 1993 - 1998
  • Bujáková Eleonóra - 2005 - 2009
  • Mellenová Veronika - 2006 - 2008
  • Karšayová Marianna, Ing. - 2010 - 2012
  • Pernišová Mária, Ing. - 2015 - 2017

Former internal post-graduates of the Department of Chemistry:

  • Švikruhová Jana, Ing. - 2007 – 2009 (Environmental Studies)
  • Vargová Andrea, Mgr. - 2007 – 2009 (Environmental Studies)
  • Jakabová Silvia, Mgr. - 2007 – 2009 (Environmental Studies)
  • Morovič Martin, RNDr. - 2005 – 2009 (General Biology)
  • Medvecká Eva, Mgr. - 2007 – 2010 (Applied Biology)
  • Švorcová Andrea, Mgr. - 2010 – 2014 (Applied Biology)
  • Hudec Michal, PaedDr. - 2011 – 2015 (Environmental Studies)
  • Hanzlíková Zuzana, Mgr. - 2012 – 2016 (Environmental Studies)

Scientific and research work at the Department of Chemistry is dedicated to the following fields of study:

  1. study of heavy metals presence in the soil – plant system (validation and modification of analytical methods for determination of heavy metals in plant material),
  2. study of molecular markers in plants and study of the stress proteins synthesis in plants due to the stress caused by heavy metals,
  3. study of presence of oxides of nitrogen and sulphur in atmosphere, monitoring the content of selected parameters in water and soil,
  4. theoretical and quantum-chemical research of molecules and molecular systems characteristics,
  5. educational research in connection to the use of computers in teaching of chemistry (use of computers for unconventional and effective teaching of chemistry).

A number of staff has participated in short-term international internships within CEEPUS and Sokrates – Erasmus projects.